Improvement in button-hole sewing-machines



1. A. a. H. A. HOUSE. Button' H ole Sewg Machine. Y JN0. 55,863. Famed June 26, 1866..

UNITED STATES PATENT @Erica JAMES A. HOUSE AND HENRY A. HOUSE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN BUTTON-HOLE SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,863, dated June 26, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES A. HOUSE and HENRY A. HOUSE, both of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Machine for Vorking Button-Holes; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference heilig had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specication, in which- Figure l represents a plan view of the machine with its covering-plate removed to show the spirally-slotted ratchet-wheel and its pawl. Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the under side of the machine. Fig. 3 represents a view of the under side of the machine with parts removed to exhibit the details. Fig. 4 repre sents, in detail, the parts which reverse the position ofthe pawl to reverse the feed; and Fig. 5 shows the details of the switch-block for changing the throw of the clamping-plate.

It is the object of our invention to work a button-holeand finish it on both sides without tnrnin g the fabric in which it is worked, which has hitherto been a desideratum in this class of machines, and which gives to the buttonhole machine a largely-increased capability for rapid work, besides rendering the working of button-holes strictly' automatic, and to this end our invention consists, first, in working a button-hole on both sides without turning the cloth; second, in a seroll-cam ratehetwheel having a reversable motion to feed the fabric back and forth the distance required for any determined length of button-hole; third, in shifting the pawl automatically by adjustable stops that determine the length ofbutton-hole to be worked; fourth, in determining the length of stitch by the pawl-sweep, slotted and fulcrumed on the axis of the scroll-cam, and connected by a bent rod with the jog-bar; fifth, in combining with a reciprocating shell-plate a stationary and anv adjustable switch-hook to sew button-holes of varying lengths; sixth, in governing the vibration of the clamping-plate by a switch-block to sew the opposite sides of button-holes of whatever length; seventh, in

attaching to the under side of the lixed bed-r plate an adjustable stitching-plate, so that it may be always in proper relation to the needle, eighth, in an adjustable screw-pivot for the clamp, to adapt it to any/thickness of cloth 5 ninth, in supporting the cloth by a cla-mp on a vibrating plate, which has also a longitudinal reciprocatory motion, to work both sides and both ends of a button-hole without turning the cloth.

The whole of the mechanism involved in our invention may be conveniently supported on or attached to the opposite sides of a bedplate, A, having a covering-plate (not shown in the drawings) over the scroll ratchet-wheel B. The top of plate A is out down circularly, to permit the scroll-wheel B to rotate beneath its surface, and longitudinally, to receive a vibrating plate, C. which has also a reciprocating or forward and back motion.

rEhe bed-plate A is cut through and through at the forward portion of the depression, as at D in Fig. 3, and on one side of the scrollwheel, as at E, Figs. l, 2, and 3, to permit the vibration of the pawl F over the teeth of the scroll-wheel.

rlhe scroll-wheel B carries a serollslot, 1, cut spirally from near its outer edge to near its axis a., and the perimeter of the wheel is cut into ratchet-teeth.

rlhe plate C is attached to or may form part of a bar, Gr, that carries near its rear end a pin or stud, 2, which projects from the top of the bar into the scrollslot of the ratchet-wheel B, and as the scroll-wheel is alternately rotated back and forth the pin 2 approaches or recedes from its axis, and thus imparts a lim ited longitudinal reciprocation to the pla-te C, and this plate carries a slot, 3, at its forward end, of the length of the largest button-hole to be worked on the machine. rlhe plate C also carries a clamp, H, having a slot, 4, over the buttonhole, and which is pivoted on a screw, 5, fastened in the plate C, and having a milled nut, 6, above the clamp, and a spiral spring, 30, beneath it.

The rear end of the clamp rests on a milled nut, 7, that turns on a screw, 3l, also fastened to the plate C. This milled screw-nut 7 is finished with a cone shape on the top, and the rear of the clamp has a correspondingV cone-shaped depression, so that as the nut 7 is turned to rise on its screw the clamp can always be made to rest on cloths of varying thicknesses with a pressure parallel to the plate C, over the whole under surface of the presser, and thus render the pull on the stitch unit'orm in all parts otl the hutton-hole, the clamp H and its adjusting-cone 7being shown in Figs. 6 and (3 in elevation and section. The plate G carries a slot, 8, in which a stud, 9, rests, that is secured to a har, I, (shown in red lines in Fig. 3,) having its fulcrum in a plate, K, (also shown in red lines,) the bar I being shown independently in plan and edge views 20. This bar I carries a stud, 10, that rests in the slot 11 ot' the jog-bar L. Now, as the slot 11 in the jog-bar has an inclination -to the straight movements of the bar, the position of the stud 10 in this slot will determine the movement of the clamping-plate sidewise, while the position of the stud 2 in the slot 1 of the scroll-cam will determine the longitudinal position ot' the clamping-plate, so that a single orward-and-back movement of the jog-bar will cause a forward and back vibration of the clamping-plate vfor each stitch in the button-hole, and a forward or back motion of the clamping-plate to advance or retract the button-hole for the next stitch.

The switch-pawl F is bifurcated, and carries a tail, 12, and a point, 13, on its under side, the former resting against a curved spring, 14, and the point resting between the forked projections of a lever, 15, fulcrumed on the sweep M, which is fulcrumed on the axis of the scrollcam. The sweep M is vibrated by the movements of the jog-bar, and carries the pawl with it, and as one or the other ot its teeth is constantly engaged with the ratchet-teeth of the scroll-wheel the movements of this wheel will continue in one direction or the other with the vibration ot' the jog-bar. rlhe switch F is automatically changed to move the scroll-wheel in opposite directions by a reversing stop on the sliding bar Nand movable switch V. (Shown in blue lines in Fig. 3 and in detail in Fig. 5.)

A pin, X, projects from the upper side ot' the forked lever 15, that is alternately struck by a projection, Y, on the sliding bar N and by the movable switching-wedge V.

A switch-block, l?, is attached to the bedplate by being dovetailed in a plate, Z, as shown in red lines, and this switch-block is moved in opposite directions by the switchwedgeVpassing on one side, and its own passage past a stationary switch, O, on the other, or, in other words, the bar N is fastened to the bar R, which is secured to the vibrating plate C in such a manner as to partake of its longitudinal but not ot' its vibrating movement.

rI he bar N carries a switch, 0, and has a shoulder at Y, that strikes the pin X on the upper side of the forked lever 15, that vibrates the pawl, and when the side ofthe button-hole which is sewed on the advance movement of the plate C is finished the shoulder Y reverses the pawl, and the movement of the plate C is reversed by the reversed movement of the scroll-cam.

A switch, V, is attached to the sliding bar z, that carries thc set-screw S in the slot 14E, to adjust the length of the stitching to the length of thebutton-hole, and as this switch and the bar z, when adjusted, also partake ofthe lontudinal movements ot' the plate C, the end of the bar e always moves in a fixed relation to the projection or shoulder y on the bar N, and when the side of the button-hole sewed by the return movement of the plate Gis tinished the end of the bar z strikes the pin X in the lever 15, and reversing the pawl. reverses, the movement of the scroll-cam. Now, as the stitches are formed by two pnnctures ofthe needle for each stitch, and as two sets of stitches are required for each button-hole, it is evident that the vibrations of the plate C must be kept in progress on one side of the button-hole at a time, that the goods may he moved under the needle the distance determined for the length of stitch, and to effect this the switch-block P is secured to the under side of a sliding har, R, held by the plate Z, and carrying a hole to rcceive the pin 27 of the lever I, which vibrates the plate C, and as one side of the button-hole is being stitched the switch-blockP is pressed by the switch V, and when the other side ot' the button-hole is sewed the switch O presses the block to the opposite side, and so changes the fulcrum ot' lever I, and causes it to shift laterally the plate C, in addition to its ordinary vibrations, and thus the plate G is made to vibrate alternately on opposite sides of thc button-hole without interrupting the regular spacing of the stitching. This movement is to keep the clamping-plate in position to permit the opposite sides ot the button-hole to be antomatically sewed, for as the sewing of one side ofthe button-holeis finished by-say the forward movement ot' the clamping plate, when the feed is changed the sliding switch passes between the switch-block and the edge of the bed-plate, and shoves the clamp over a sufticient distance, and holds it long enough `to sew the opposite side ofthe button-hole, leaving the clamping-plate ample vibration to sew on the sides of a cut button-hole, or to leave room between the stitching to cut the buttonhole after it has been sewed on both sides of the out.

The pawl-sweep M carries a slot, 16, curved in the arc of the radius ot' the bent bar Q, which is fastened by a set-screw at one end in the slot 16, and at the other to thejog-bar Lat 17, and by changing the position ofthe rod Q in the slot 16 you change the distance between the stitches in the button-hole, because, as the radius of the bent bar is increased, the pawl passes over a greater distance on the scrollwheel, and as the radius of the bent bar is diminished the pawl will pass over a smaller number of the teeth in the scroll-wheel, so that the space between the stitches is increased by moving the bent bar out from, and diminished by moving it in toward the fulcrum of the sweep.

The bar R, (shown in red lines in Fig. 3,) which carries the switch-wedge V, has a stud in its forward end that receives a milled nut, S, above the bed-plate. This stud moves back and forth in a slot, 14, in a sliding plate, T, attached to the vibrating plate C. Of-course the plates T and C move together longitudinally; but the plate T has no vibrating movement, being confined by dovetailed ways, and connected to the bed-plate by a loose joint, or by the screw 18, resting in a transverse slot in th'e bed-plate. Now, all that is required to vary the movements of the clamping or bed plate to button-holes of any length is the change of the position of set-screw S in the slot 19 5 for as this set-screw determines the traverse of the switch-wedge V, the pawl will be shifted. earlier or later, and the traverse of the scrollcam 1 past the stud 2 will be increased or diminished. The movement of the set-screw S forward will lengthen the traverse ot' the scroll-cam, and its movement backward will diminish its traverse, and in the example shown in the drawings it is evident that the length ot' the button-hole may be varied to any radius extending from the end of the scroll-cam near the axis ot' the ra-tchet-wheel to any other point on the scroll-cam.

To the under side ot' the bed-plate we attach a stitching-plate, U, havin g slotted screw-holes 2l and 22, to permit it a slight longitudinal adjustment, so as to prevent the needle from striking its edges, and secure a uniform pull upon the loop ot' needle-thread by the hook,

which could hardly be the case were the needlev to enter the side ot' the opening in the stitching instead of always entering precisely in the` center ot' this opening. 4

The operation is as follows: Our invention being applied to a Wheeler' & Wilson sewing-machine, has itsjog-bar suitably connected by a switch-cam to the main shaft, the rotation ot which reciprocates the jogbar, the goods being placed on the clamping-plate, and the stitching-plate adjusted for the needle to pass through the centre ot' its opening. The reci procation ot' the jog-bar imparts two vibrations to the clamping-plate, and one feed-motion forward to space the stitches for each vibration otl the jog-bar, during which the needle descends twice and forms a single stitch on one side of the button-hole, which is completed bythe continued reciprocatory movement of the jog-bar, and at this moment the pawl is shifted and the switch-block moves the clamping-plate a suflicient distance laterally to sew the opposite side ot' the button-hole, which in this example terminates ina point of' short stitching at each end; but we are not limited to any shape for the termination ofthe ends of the button-hole, as the form of these ends is strictly under control of our invention. The mode ot' changing the length ofthe button-hole and the spaces of the stitches having been heretofore described, demonstrates that our invention will automatically produce button-holes without turning the cloth.

WVhat we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Working a button-hole automatically and on both sides without turning the cloth, by the devices substantially as described.

2. The scroll-cam ratchet wheel, to give a rectilinear reciprocatory motion to and to govern the length ot' the button-hole, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the scroll-cam ratchet-wheel, shifting-pawl, and jog-bar, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of the scroll-cam ratchet-wheel, the sweep, bent lever, and jog-bar, to space the stitching, substantiallyas setforth.

5. The combination of the reciprocating vibrating clamping-plate, the adjustable switchwedge, and the jogbar, for the purpose ot' varying the length of stitching for a buttonhole, substantially asy described.

6. The` combination of the jog-bar, clamping-plate, movable switch and switch block, to sew both sides otl button-holes automatically, substantially as described.

7. The combination of an adjustable stitching-plate with the fixed bed-plate, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. The combination ofthe clamp to hold the cloth with an adjustable screw-pivot to render the bearing-surface of the clamp parallel with cloth of varying thicknesses, substantially as set forth. i

9. llhe combination of the vibrating and reciprocating plate with the adjustable clamp, when so arranged that both shall lnove together to hold the cloth smoothly between them, as set forth.

In testimony whereof Awe have hereunto subscribed our names.

JAMES A. HOUSE. HENRY A. HOUSE.

Witnesses:

GEORGE O. BrsEoP, SAMUEL BURR. 

